Military Defense Lawyer (Former JAG Attorney)
News:
Recently, a military officer who faced a general court-martial (GCM) trial in which he was accused of illegal drug use was found not guilty (UCMJ Article 112a). The accused military member was defended by military law attorney Richard V. Stevens (Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.).
The officer client was accused of illegal drug use based on a failed urinalysis test. In the military, drug testing can be based on different legal justifications – random urinalysis testing, unit sweeps, probable cause drug testing, consent urinalysis testing, command-directed drug testing, and Bickel safety drug testing.
In this case, the accused military officer failed a random drug test, and was taken to trial by general court-martial. A general court-martial trial is a federal criminal trial that is similar to a felony criminal trial in the civilian justice system. The litigation of this case relied heavily on scientific testing and expert testimony, including expert forensic toxicologists and pharmacologists. Two experts testified for each side in the case.
Ultimately, based on the scientific evidence and expert testimony presented by the defense in trial, the accused officer client was found not guilty by the military judge.
Had there been a conviction in this alleged illegal drug use case, the client would have received a federal criminal conviction, and he would have faced the end of his military career and the possibility of a sentence that could have included prison time and/or a dismissal (equivalent of a dishonorable discharge). Thankfully, the officer was not convicted and was cleared to continue his military career.
While this serious illegal drug use allegation in this military general court-martial trial was successfully defended, it is important to understand that every case has different facts, and success in previous cases does not guarantee success in any particular future case. No military lawyer or civilian defense lawyer, including those who specialize in military law, can guarantee the outcome of any military trial or case.
Attorney Richard V. Stevens has successfully defended many alleged military drug use cases over more than 30 years of his legal career. In addition to alleged drug use, he has defended military cases alleging illegal drug possession, illegal drug distribution, illegal drug selling, introduction of illegal drugs onto a military installation or vessel – all in violation of UCMJ Article 112a. Mr. Stevens has been practicing military law since 1995.
For more information about the military justice system, particularly cases alleging illegal drug crimes, see:
https://militaryadvocate.com/practice-areas/drug-crimes/
We offer free consultations for a case you may be involved in. Just call us.
Thank you.
Military Defense Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens, P.C.
Civilian criminal defense lawyer and military
defense lawyer
Blog postscript: I (attorney Richard V. Stevens) am a former active duty military lawyer (JAG). My perspectives and advice, therefore, are based upon my experience as military defense lawyer and as a civilian criminal defense lawyer practicing exclusively in the area of military law and military justice. This blog addresses issues in military law, military justice, military discipline, military defense, court-martial practice, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and other military and/or legal topics. Nothing posted in this blog should be substituted for legal advice in any particular case. If you seek legal advice for a particular case, please contact The Law Offices of Richard V. Stevens for a free consultation. These military defense law offices are located in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, Maryland, National Capital Region (NCR), but the military defense representation is worldwide – when necessary, the attorneys travel to wherever the client is stationed around the world.
